Motor vehicle and method for a 360° detection of the motor vehicle surroundings

A motor vehicle comprising:

• a sensor arrangement for the 360° capture of the surroundings of the motor vehicle, the sensor arrangement comprising:
• a plurality of sensors, each of which are of a same kind, with the plurality of sensors each respectively having a predetermined detection zone, wherein the plurality of sensors are disposed in a distributed manner around an exterior of the motor vehicle such that the predetermined detection zones of the plurality of sensors collectively provide an overall detection zone, which covers a region of the surroundings at a pre-determined distance from the motor vehicle in a complete angle around the motor vehicle, with each of the plurality of sensors being configured to record the surroundings in their respective detection zone as respective sensor data in respective successive synchronized time steps, and
• a preprocessing mechanism configured to:
• acquire the sensor data from each of the plurality of sensors;
• fuse the sensor data from the plurality of sensors for a respective identical time step to produce a three-dimensional image of the surroundings that is produced in a common database, with at least two of the detection zones of the sensors overlapping, whereby an overlap region is made available, wherein respective measurement uncertainties of each of the sensors of the overlap region are also made available as part of the sensor data;
• and
• equalize the sensor data acquired by the respective sensors in the overlap region, wherein based on the equalization,
• the preprocessing mechanism is further configured to carry out at least one of:
• perform a sensor data correction, and calculate a weighted average of the sensor data relating to an identical local area of the surroundings acquired by two respective sensors, wherein a respective weight of sensor data used in said calculating depends on the respective sensor measurement uncertainty, for each of the two respective sensors;
• and/or
• perform a measurement uncertainty correction to sensor data redundantly recorded in the overlap region, which assigns a reduced measurement uncertainty that is smaller than the measurement uncertainties originally made available as part of the sensor data;
• and/or
• perform a correction concerning the probability of existence of objects in the surroundings based on the measurement uncertainties.

A method for 360° capture of a surroundings of a motor vehicle, with the vehicle having a plurality of sensors, each of which are of a same kind, the method comprising:

• generating, from each of the plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor has a respective detection zone, sensor data of the respective detection zone in synchronized time steps, the respective detection zones of each of the plurality of sensors collectively providing an overall detection zone that covers a range of the surroundings in a complete angle around the motor vehicle at a predetermined distance from the motor vehicle;
• fusing the sensor data from the plurality of sensors for a respective identical time step utilizing a preprocessing mechanism;
• producing a three-dimensional image of the surroundings represented in a common database from the fused sensor data, wherein at least two of the detection zones of the sensors are overlapping, thereby providing an overlapping region;
• performing an equalization, through the preprocessing mechanism, of the sensor data acquired by the respective sensors in the overlapping region, wherein respective measurement uncertainties for each sensor of the respective sensors are provided as part of the sensor data;
• and
• one or more of the following steps based on the equalization:
• performing a sensor data correction including calculating a weighted average of the sensor data relating to an identical local area of the surroundings acquired by two respective sensors, wherein a respective weight of sensor data used in said calculating depends on the respective sensor measurement uncertainty, for each of the two respective sensors;
• and/or
• performing a measurement uncertainty correction including assigning a reduced measurement uncertainty to the sensor data redundantly recorded in the overlap region that is smaller than the measurement uncertainties originally provided as part of the sensor data;
• and/or
• performing a correction concerning the probability of existence of objects in the surroundings based on the measurement uncertainties.